Module I 1979 March On Washington

Gatherings on the National Mall in Washington D.C. have been part of many different civil rights movements, but the 1979 March on Washtington wasn't the first time LGBTQ+ people made themselves visible in our national capitol. In fact, a group of gay men and women marched in front of the White House for the very first time in 1965. It was a small group that marched with simple signs asking for recognition and equality.

The 1979 gathering in the National Mall was much different and of course took place after the decriminalization and normalization of homosexuality that happened almost ten years before.

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The first LGBTQ march on Washington took place on October 14, 1979 on the eve of Ronald Reagan's election to President. Since that time, three more marches have been held all with the same demand - equal rights for LGBTQ+ people. Read more about the history of the marches in Washington in this article from the Washington Blade.

Optional: Listen to some of the speeches from the 1993 march.

"National Coming Out Day" was established as an annual day on October 11th to commemorate the first March on Washington event.